èƵ and Detroit Red Wings Announce Winner of 2026 “Tradition Of Success” Art Contest
èƵ, in partnership with the Detroit Red Wings, is proud to announce Charlie Grech as the winner of this year’s “Tradition of Success” art contest and the $5,000 prize. His winning piece, titled “Wings of Time,” was selected for its exceptional tribute to the Red Wings’ centennial anniversary. Grech will be recognized with a check presentation during the Red Wings home game on March 24, and his artwork will beshowcasedinthe èƵ Club at Little Caesars Arena.
This year’s theme invited participants tosubmitartwork that encapsulated the Red Wings’ 100-year legacy. Each piece was carefully considered based oncreativity,originalityand adherence to the theme, which encompassed the Red Wings’ proud legacy of resilience,excellenceand growth. The judging panel consisted of èƵ CEO, StacieKwaiser,Ilitch Holdings Director of Curation & Collections Marcel Parent,and Red Wingsalumnus,Drew Miller.
“In the piece I created, I really wanted to stay focused on the theme the contest laid out. I tried to incorporate the main idea of the 100-year celebration of the Detroit Red Wings, along with some significant plays in their history,” said Grech. “I wanted the artwork to have a touch of contemporary art as well as include the feel of speed and motion, which a lot of sports artwork exhibits.”
After placing in the top10the past two years, Grech entered this year’s competition with renewed excitement and confidence that this would be his year.Inspired by this year’s theme and his love for the game of hockey and the Red Wings, he was encouraged to enter once again.
“Charlie’s artwork immediately resonated with us as it beautifully captures the century-long legacy of the Red Wings,” said StacieKwaiser, CEO of èƵ. “By incorporating thoughtful details like Olympia Stadium, the piece truly celebrates the rich history of Hockeytown.”
His creative process began with a small sketch of the number “100” which he integrated with the Red Wings logo,modifyingit to convey a sense of speed and motion. From there, he expanded the piece to symbolize the franchise’s history by incorporating historic buildings the team has called home and the imagery of iconic moments,jerseysand logos.
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